A Haitian migrant accused of raping a 15-year-old girl at a Massachusetts hotel was released on $500 bail last week despite repeated requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to transfer him into custody.
Cory Alvarez, a 26-year-old Haitian citizen who was allowed into the United States through a controversial parole program that allows up to 30,000 migrants per month, was charged with aggravated rape of a minor in March.
ICE said in a statement that the Boston branch of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) filed a detainer against Alvarez with the local sheriff's office on March 14. A detainer is a request by which authorities alert ICE about an individual they believe is subject to deportation so that they can take the individual into federal custody and deport him or her.
Haitian immigrant accused of raping a 15-year-old girl entered America through controversial parole program: sources
Cory B. Alvarez allegedly raped a teenage girl at a motel where he lived that housed immigrants. Alvarez legally entered the United States in 2023 through New York City. (Fox News)
In this case, as in many “sanctuary” jurisdictions, the arrest warrant was not served and Alvarez was released on bail.
“On June 27, the Plymouth Superior Court refused to honor ERO Boston's immigration detainer and released Alvarez on $500 bail,” said ERO ICE Boston spokesman James Covington.
The Boston Globe reported that prosecutors had asked for bail to be set at $25,000, but the judge set it at $500 on the condition that he submit to several stipulations, including house arrest and other forms of monitoring.
Brian A. Kelley, Alvarez's attorney, told Fox News Digital that Alvarez was released after a three-part hearing that looked at medical records, surveillance and testimony.
“No injuries were found on the alleged victim. Surveillance video shows her entering the room and leaving eight minutes later, without touching her clothing and walking past two National Guard members without comment,” Kelley said, confirming that Alvarez was released on bail.
MAYORKAS CONSIDERS THE POLICY THAT ALLOWS THE ACCESS OF 30,000 MIGRANTS EACH MONTH AS A “KEY ELEMENT” OF THE BORDER PLAN AFTER THE LEGAL VICTORY
Cory B. Alvarez (in red) was arrested on March 15 and pleaded not guilty to one count of forcible rape of a minor. He was ordered held without bail following a hearing in Hingham District Court in Hingham, Massachusetts on March 22, 2024. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
He also said Alvarez's bail condition included house arrest and the surrender of his passport, which he complied with. He also cited a Massachusetts court ruling that found no authority to detain a person solely on the basis of an ICE detainer.
“I am hopeful that all Karen Read supporters will now find a new cause: supporting the innocence of Cory Alvarez,” Kelley added.
Alvarez arrived in June under the parole process for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV). The policy was first announced for Venezuelans in October 2022, allowing a limited number of them to fly directly to the United States as long as they had not entered illegally, already had a sponsor in the United States and passed certain screenings.
In January 2023, the administration announced that the program would expand to include Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans and that the program would allow up to 30,000 people a month to enter the United States. It allows migrants to receive work permits and a two-year authorization to live in the United States and was announced alongside an expansion of Title 42 expulsions to include those nationalities.
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The Department of Homeland Security has said the process, which it describes as a “safe and orderly way to reach the United States,” is a “key element” of the administration’s efforts to address high levels of migration across the hemisphere. Republicans have accused the administration of abusing the parole process with the program.
According to official data, the Biden administration has brought more than 138,000 Haitians to the United States through the CHNV parole program since January 2023.
